No excuses. No one to blame but themselves. Feeble defending has left little hope for England at the World Cup. Successive losses have left the team facing its most humiliating exit from a World Cup since 1958, and reliant on a victory over Costa Rica next week and a favor from Italy on Friday by beating Costa Rica to have a chance of advancing from Group D. Back in the 1950s, millions of pounds (dollars) weren't spent on preparing the team, and the players weren't supported by more than 50 staff members - as the 2014 squad are in Brazil. Pampered in Miami before heading to a beachside base in Rio de Janeiro after squad grumblings about the isolated South Africa HQ in 2010, the Football Association's preparations were meticulous. Everything the defending wasn't in Brazil. "We maybe should have accepted that going for a point might have been the best option," captain Steve Gerrard said after Thursday's 2-1 loss to Uruguay Whether the England defense was up to grinding out a draw is questionable with the defenders at Roy Hodgson's disposal. Although, given the back-to-back lapses against Italy and Uruguay, maybe England just doesn't have international quality defenders anymore. Going back to Bobby Moore, England's World Cup wining captain in 1966, solid center backs formed the bedrock of the team, with Terry Butcher, Tony Adams and Rio Ferdinand filling the position in later years, AP reported. Phil Jagielka (Everton) and Gary Cahill (Chelsea) play for teams which finished in the top five last season and appeared to have forged a solid international partnership, not losing any of their 13 internationals together before the World Cup. But they struggled to adapt to the most testing of football occasions, leaving England exposed too often in front of goal against Italy and Uruguay for four goals. "They were sloppy goals (to concede) and we have to take responsibility for that as a team," said Gerrard, who inadvertently flicked the ball on for Suarez's second. England was desperately lacking the leadership of John Terry marshalling the back four. Even at 33, Terry regained his form and his place into the Chelsea team, but turned his back on England in 2012 before being found guilty by the FA of racially abusing an opponent in a Premier League match. The only sight of Terry wearing the Three Lions jersey on Thursday was the picture he uploaded ahead of the Uruguay match on Instagram, wishing the team luck. "When players retire, we move on," was Hodgson's message ahead of the World Cup. -- SPA 21:10 LOCAL TIME 18:10 GMT تغريد
